Wagon-brake.



Patented Ju1y12,f191o.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

rf\ M @..M w\\ \\m\ L, m. 4 .mw om .mv 7 .NN w v n M.. mdk. O o w, mw! NN NSNN @N E1/Treni@ 7.

TH: lorms PETERS co., w/LsHlNcroN, n c

H. E. ROLPH.

WAGON BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED sBrT.zs,1so7.

Patented July 12, 1910.

2 SHEETS-'SHEET 2.

HENRY E. ROLPH, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

WAGON-BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 12, 1910.

Application filed September 23, 1907. Serial No. 394,056.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. ROLPH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vagon-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wagon brakes and more particularly to that class in which the same will be automatically applied in operation by pressure exerted by a neck yoke, such pressure being proportionate to the back resistance of a team in descending grades; that is to say, where the grade is slight, the pressure will be slight, and where the grade is steep, the pressure will be proportionately greater. In addition, the invention provides novel,construc tion by which the brake is not applied when the team is backing.

' In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is an inverted plan view showing my improved brake applied to an oridnary wagon; Fig. 2 is a detached view in elevation of the brakeoperating mechanism, showing the manner in which the parts are arranged; Fig. 3 is a detail view in elevation, showing the position which the brake-operating mechanism assumes during the act of backing; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a wagon showing my improved brake attached thereto and means connected with said brake for operating the same by hand or foot power, and Fig. 5 is a detail section of Fig. t taken on the line X-X.

In the following description it will be understood that the brake mechanism may be applied either to the front or rear wheels of a wagon and that in the construction shown the invention is shown applied to the rear wheels, also that the same mechanism may be duplicated to be applied to the front wheels when desired.

A represents the reach which connects the front aXle B with the rear aXle C, said reach being adapted to be lengthened or shortened in the usual manner.

D represents the tongue carrying the neck yoke (not shown) as usual. Upon the tongue is pivoted a lever 2, the upper end of which extends above the tongue and is adapted to be engaged by the neck yoke. The lower part of the lever extends below the tongue as shown in Fig. 2 and is connected with a three-part brake-operating rod E, two sections whereof, 3 and 4, are preferably connected by a link joint 5 and the third member G having a link connection with the member Llthrough the collar '7 carrying a set screw or bolt 8. The object of having the members 4 and 6 adjustable lengthwise is to compensate for any change that may be made in the length of the reach, and it is to be understood that where such a device is employed in connection with lumber wagons the length of the reach is changed to meet the requirements in different lengths of lumber carried.

Supported from the rear axle C by hangers or supports 8 is a bracket 9, the ends of which are supported by set bolts and between said ends is pivoted at 10 an upright lever 11. rIhe upper end of this lever is pivot-ally connected with the section 6 of the brakeoperating lever E and with a helical draw spring 12 which in turn is fastened to the aXle C, the object being to return the operating rod t-o normal position with the brake shoes (to be hereinafter described) out of connection with the perimeters of the wheels. The lower end of the lever 11 is coupled by a pin 13 to a brake rod la, the latter being provided with a number of holes 15 so that the coupling with the lever 11 may be modiied to vary the position of the brake shoes in regard to the wheels. Supported upon the rear hound F is a transverse bar 16 from which is suspended by means of links 17 a brake beam 18, the latter carrying brake shoes 19 which are adapted to impinge against the perimeters of the wheels when drawn into active position. The brake rod 14 is coupled with the brake beam by means of the pin 2O and when the bearing surfaces 21 of the brake shoes are pressed against the perimeters of the wheels by the backward movement of the lever 2 and the intervening mechanism, the forward movement of the wheels tends to hold the brake shoes set. Should, however, the vehicle be moved backward during its operation, the brake shoes are kicked up into the position shown in Fig. 3 and the wheels are permitted to freely sweep past the brake shoes without any braking effect being applied. To permit this action the brake shoes are made with the lower portion below the brake bar shorter than the portion above, and are preferably cut away at 22 to accomplish this result. The brake shoes can be modified in shape to accomplish this result, the principle involved being a yoke engages the lever 2, thereby moving the i at-ter in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 and by the brake-operating rod E,

moving the brake shoes into contact with the perimeters of the wheels. This action causes the brakes to firmly impinge against, and tends to stop, the wheels revolving. Where the decline is moderate the application of the brakes to the wheels will be slight, but where the decline is sharp the application of the brakes to the wheels will be proprtionately greater, thereby effecting the automatic braking of the wheels proportionately to the backward resistance offered by the team in its attempt to check the rapid descent of the wagon. Should the motion of the wagon be reversed and the team attempt to back, the wheels naturally revolve backward. During' this movement the brake shoes automatically release and permit the wheels to move freely.

There may be times when it is desirable to set the brake by hand or foot power and for this purpose I have shown mechanism for performing' this function in connection with the appara-tus above described. This mechanism consists of a shaft 25 ournaled upon bearing blocks 26 which are fastened to the Hoor of the wagon body 27. The shaft 25 is provided with a lever 28 on its outer end and with a crank arm 29 near its inner end which is split and secured in a lug 30 by means of screws 31. The sections L1; and 6 of the brake-operating rod E are provided with a sleeve 32 against which the lug on the operating rod is adapted vto impinge to mov-e said rod forward and set said brake. A hand lever 33 is pivoted upon the side of the wagon body at 34 and its lower end is connected with the operating lever 2S by means ofthe link `35. A toothed segment 36 and dog' mechanism 37 in connection with the hand lever 33 is for the purpose of locking the handle in forward position when the brake is set. When the brake is released by the hand lever 33 the mechanism `by which the brake is set operates from the neck yoke in the usual manner.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative andV that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth, within the scope of the following claim.

Having described ymy invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

In combination with a vehicle having a frame, body, rear axle and tongue, a wheel revolving upon said axle, a brake beam suspended from said frame and having a shoe supported on its side adjacent to the perimeter of said wheel adapted to frictionally engage said wheel when advancing the lower portion of said shoe being shorter than the portion above said beam and beveled on its 'lower edge so that reversing of the wheel kicks said shoe out of engagement with its perimeter, a support projecting forwardly from said axle, an upright lever fulcrumed upon said support, a link between the lever and beam to pull the shoe against the wheel, a draw spring between said lever and axle to hold said shoe normally out of said engagement with said wheel, a lever pivotedon said tongue and adapted to be operated by the neck yoke, a sectional rod between the lever on the tongue and the lever which is fulcrumed upon said support, means for connecting the sections of said rod together to vary the length of the rod and means for swinging the brake beam with said shoe into contact with said wheel, consisting of a transverse shaft mounted upon said body having .a pair of radiating arms, a hand lever pivoted upon the body, a connecting rod between the hand lever and one of said radiating arms and a block on said sectional rod in the path ofthe other radiating arm; whereby said brake can be set by the vneck yoke or by the impingement of one of the radiating arms on said shaft against said block by swinging said hand lever.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY E. ROLPH.

Witnesses:

F. G. BRADBURY, I-I L. FISCHER. 

